Machine gun



Dec. 27, 1938. LALOUX 2,141,537

MACHINE GUN Filed Sept. 5, 1936 x iNVENTOR RENE LlA-lioux Patented Dec. 27, 1938 MACHINE GUN Ren Laloux, Brussels, Belgium Application September 5, 1936, Serial No. 99,650 In Belgium September 25, 1935 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to a machine gun or similar portable firearm operating by means of a gas vent in the barrel.

The invention particularly relates to machine guns comprising a butt pivoted about a horizontal axis and its object is to completely free the lower face of the breech casing without causing the butt to pivot in such a way as to permit temporary dismounting.

For this purpose the pivot axis of the butt is situated below and at the rear of the breech casing, the lower face of the breech casing being opened in order to receive the magazine and the trigger guard containing the trigger mechanism. Due to this choice of position of the pivot axis, the lower face of the breech casing can be opened by lifting off the magazine and the trigger guard containing the trigger mechanism.

In order to prevent firing when the butt is pivoted downwardly, this butt is provided with a stop which in the normal position of the butt bears against the trigger guard so as to prevent pivoting of the butt as long as the trigger guard is secured to the firearm,

Further this butt is formed so as to be able to rotate through an angle of about 90 about the pivot axis in such a way as to occupy a substantially vertical position when the firearm is horizontal and supported in front of the gas cylinder by a double footed support. For this purpose the stop which bears against the trigger guard in the normal position of the butt bears against the breech casing in the pivoted position of the said butt.

35 The accompanying drawing shows by way of non-limitative example, one form of embodiment of the invention. The invention covers the different original features which comprise the arrangement illustrated.

40 Figure 1 is a view of the assembly of the fire arm showing the barrel in separated position and the butt in its pivoting position.

Figure 2 is a side view of the rear portion of the firearm showing the butt in its normal position, the trigger guard being secured on the firearm.

Figure 3 is a similar view of the rear portion of the firearm when temporarily dismounted.

As seen in Figure 1, the firearm essentially comprises a barrel 2 provided with its gas vent system 3, a breech casing 4 provided towards the front part with a gas cylinder 5, and towards the rear part with the pivoted butt 6. The front end of the gas cylinder 5 is provided with a two footed support I.

As seen in Figure l, the butt 6 can pivot about an axis in the form of a pin 6a provided at the rear of and below the breech casing. With the butt in a downward position the firearm can hold itself in a horizontal position thereby permitting dismounting and the examination of the internal mechanism without the firearm coming into contact with the ground which is of particular importance when dismounting on the terrain.

In the normal position (firing position, see Figure 2) the butt is united with the breech casing firstly by the pivoting pin 6a and secondly by a connecting pin l3 which penetrates the holes l4 (Figure 1) provided in the lateral cheeks of the breech casing and a hole l5 provided in an extension on the butt. In this position a stop I6 associated with the breech casing bears against the rear face I? of the trigger guard l8 so that it is impossible to cause the but to pivot before the trigger guard has been lifted off.

After the trigger guard has been lifted off, the firearm is temporarily dismounted; this dismounting is effected as follows: the firearm lever I9 is pulled thereby pushing back the internal firing mechanism; then by a push on the hook 20, the bolt and a part of the mechanism is caused to fall outside the breech casing while at the same time being held by their normal connecting pivot; the bolt 2| proceeds to take up the position shown in Figure 3 after which the firearm lever is returned towards the front part. The bolt can then be examined and if desired replaced on the striker; this partial dismounting is rendered possible by the feature that the rear face of the breech casing is completely freed by lifting off the magazine (not shown) and the trigger guard I8.

What I claim is:

A machine gun or similar automatic firearm comprising a breechcasing, a butt, means for connecting said butt to the rear of said breech casing for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, a removable trigger guard, means carried by the butt adapted to engage the trigger guard in firing position to maintain the butt in firing position, and means carried by the butt for engaging the breech casing when the but is swung from its firing position to limit its swinging movement about the pivot so that the butt will extend beneath the breech casing and serve as a support for the rear portion of the firearm.

RENE LALoUx. 

